Constipation
From MEpedia, a crowd-sourced encyclopedia of ME and CFS science and history
Constipation is a common gastrointestinal occurrence that is defined by often having fewer than three bowel movements a week, having a difficult time passing stools, having stools that are lumpy or hard, or having a feeling of being blocked or of not having fully emptied your bowels.[1]
Presentation[edit | edit source]
Prevalence[edit | edit source]
- Katrina Berne reports a prevalence of 50-90% for IBS symptoms (including diarrhea, nausea, gas, and abdominal pain).[2]
- 81.8% - 85.6% of the 2073 patients in a Belgian study of 2001 reported gastrointestinal disturbance.[3]
Symptom recognition[edit | edit source]
Gastrointestinal issues (diarrhoea, constipation, acid reflux) as a group are a potential symptom of Long COVID in the World Health Organization's definition.[4]
Notable studies[edit | edit source]
Possible causes[edit | edit source]
- Allergies
- Dehydration
- Dysautonomia
- Hypothyroidism
- Hypovolemia
- Imbalance of gut flora (often due to antibiotics)
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Low fiber diet
- Metabolic changes
- Mold
- Parasitic infections
- SIBO
- Side effect of methylation
- Side effect of medication
Potential treatments[edit | edit source]
- Adequate hydration
- High fiber diet/fiber supplementation
- Probiotics
See also[edit | edit source]
Learn more[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ "Concerned About Constipation?". National Institute on Aging. Retrieved July 10, 2019.
- ↑ Berne, Katrina (December 1, 1995). Running on Empty: The Complete Guide to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFIDS) (2nd ed.). Hunter House. p. 58. ISBN 978-0897931915.
- ↑ De Becker, Pascale; McGregor, Neil; De Meirleir, Kenny (December 2001). "A definition‐based analysis of symptoms in a large cohort of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome". Journal of Internal Medicine. 250 (3): 234–240. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2796.2001.00890.x.
- ↑ Soriano, Joan B.; Allan, Maya; Alsokhn, Carine; Alwan, Nisreen A.; Askie, Lisa; Davis, Hannah E.; Diaz, Janet V.; Dua, Tarun; de Groote, Wouter; Jakob, Robert; Lado, Marta; Marshall, John; Murthy, Srin; Preller, Jacobus; Relan, Pryanka; Schiess, Nicoline; Seahwag, Archana (October 6, 2021), A clinical case definition of post COVID-19 condition by a Delphi consensus, World Health Organization (WHO) clinical case definition working group on post COVID-19 condition, World Health Organization
